But the fruit of patience can be felt from how important, efficient, and economical the results of this meat preservation process are.Īlong with the growing popularity of rendang in the world, it also appeared in several publications which aimed to strengthen the image of rendang not only as a Minangkabau identity, but also as the nation’s cultural heritage. The drying process for it to be durable is long and requires patience. Cooking rendang can also be interpreted as a surefire strategy to prevent meat from decay so that it can be eaten anytime and taken anywhere.

Rendang is considered suitable not only as an official dinner, but also as a provision for travelers who need preserved food for weekly to monthly periods. The rating as the most delicious food in the world itself is more on representing the tastes of foreigners in assessing the long-lasting and “crunchy” rendang different generally with processed meat that is chewy or tough. In 2017, based on 35,000 votes on social media, out of fifty delicious foods in the world, CNN Travel in the “World’s 50 Best Foods” poll, again put rendang in the first place as the world’s most delicious food (Fig. This has become a kind of “victory” for Indonesia in dealing with Malaysia, considering that this neighbor country once claimed rendang as part of its national food. The results of the poll put rendang in the top-notch position as the most delicious food in the world. The world’s attention then was turned to this black meat preserved food. The image of rendang as an ethnic and domestic food then increased to the global level after CNN Go released a poll titled “World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods” in 2011.

In essence, this Minangkabau specialty food is liked by all social levels and ethnic groups in Indonesia.

It can be seen from how rendang is always presented in typical Minangkabau restaurants in every city in Indonesia, always presented as one of the special dishes on every Lebaran (Islamic holy day), and is one of the common domestic menus in Indonesian households. Of the many, rendang can be said to be an iconic one in the collective tastes of the Indonesians and has even become a part of the national identity, besides it also being associated with the Minangkabau culture of West Sumatra. There are so many ethnic foods in the Indonesian culinary sphere.

Rendang cookpad